White Noise
by xxxTsubasaHoLic
Summary: Chaos Walking Trilogy. Todd helps Davy bond with his horse, but maybe it's not the horse Davy wants to like him... Oneshot.


A/N: The dialect that this very short and fluffy oneshot is written in is what the actual books are like. Noise is basically a constant stream of thoughts that everyone can hear from you. The books in the Chaos Walking trilogy so far are _The Knife of Never Letting Go_ and _The Ask and the Answer_. I've gotta say, it's probably- no, definitely the best series I've ever read. No lie.

Well, anyway, enjoy!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The stable is dark when we ride in. Deadfall and Angharrad shake their whole bodies after me and Todd slide off their backs, scattering dust motes all in the air. The other horses are silent, asleep in their stalls. I can feel Deadfall pulling me toward his own stall, his Noise shouting out how he's hungry and his muscles ache and he's so, so tired.

"Angharrad," Todd whispers, leaning up on his horse's neck to scratch twixt her ears.

**Boy colt. Todd**, she nickers back, her head nodding in contentment.

Deadfall turns his head to look back at me. I snort. What does the damn beast expect from me, anyway?

"He don't want nothing from ya but some attention, Davy," Todd answers, his Noise probing into mine curiously. He slides to the ground, tying Angharrad's reins to a rope on the stable wall.

My Noise flushes orange with irritation. Why does that goddamn pigpiss Todd have to be so good with the dumb beasts?

"Yeah, well, he wasn't so spoiled 'til ya came along acting like you and yer horse are effing married or something," I snap, harsher than i meant to. I lift the heavy saddle off Deadfall, who yawns widely in appreciation. "And don't be looking into my Noise so close. That's rude, ya know."

It's late. Later than we usually stay out. Got some serious work done today on the building foundation, but we must already be past curfew. _Pa's gonna be mad_, I think absently. But the stable's not too far from town. I can just barely hear the **buzz** of men's sleeping Noise coming from the houses over the hill close by.

Angharrad whinnies when Todd starts to walk away from her. **Boy colt. Go where?**

"I'm right here, girl," he replies, hoisting the saddle over his shoulder so he can get his arm free to rub her nose gently. Gently. His Noise is pink with affection, but suddenly goes gray.

**(Where is she?)**

**(Why did she leave?)**

**(Viola!)**

**(She promised)**

**(Promised me)**

**(PROMISED ME VIOLA)**

**I AM THE CIRCLE AND THE CIRCLE IS ME**

"Effing stop that!" I shout.

"Shut up, Davy," he replies weakly. But he stops.

I watch Todd stretch to lift Angharrad's saddle into its basket on the wall. He struggles to reach the tall shelf. Tired. He's tired. I'm tired, too. We've been babysitting the Spackle for months with no sign of my pa needing us elsewhere. He stands on the ends of his feet, grunting as the saddle slides into place.

I stand next to him, reaching up to push my own saddle into place. He's no taller than me, I notice suddenly. Even shorter, maybe.

His bangs cover his eyes now. They ain't always been that long, have they? And the kinda brown his hair was originally now's got streaks of gold running through it from working out in the sun all day.

_Todd_

_Todd tired_

_Hair? Gold?_

_Pretty_

I rustle my Noise up in embarrassment, trying to cover up my thoughts. Todd don't seem to notice. He's already walking back to the stalls to feed Angharrad her apple. I can already hear a happy voice nickering **Boy colt, Boy colt Todd.**

Where did that come from? Pretty? He ain't pretty. Stupid pigpiss Todd, can't stop thinking about his bitch of a girlfriend.

I shuffle over to Deadfall, reaching out to touch his mane. The dumb animal just looks at me all curious. I take my hand away, my Noise bubbling with frustration.

_Why can't Deadfall like me like Angharrad likes Todd?_

_Why don't Pa like me like he does Todd?_

_Hell, even I can't help but l-_

Shit. SHIT. I think of other things. _Apple? Deadfall. Deadfall._ Did he hear me? Did he notice?

He's looking at me. Damn. Todd's looking right at me. I reach out to touch Deadfall's nose, but he pulls away. Stupid horse.

"He wouldn't be pulling away if you'd be nicer to him," Todd says reproachfully. **Nice**, Angharrad agrees.

Now he's walking over to me. Damn it all. He's walking over and he stands next to me, pulling another apple out of his coat pocket. Deadfall looks interested, nickering to Todd softly.

"Hey there, boy," Todd whispers, looking right into Deadfall's eyes. My horse looks right back at him with a look he's never given me. I feel my Noise flare up in jealousy, but this time I'm not sure which one I'm jealous of.

"For starters, Davy, his name ain't Deadfall. It's Acorn. Stop tryin' to make him be all dark and intimidating."

"I'll call my horse what I damn well please," I mutter.

Deadfall/Acorn sniffs at the apple in Todd's hand. Todd just smiles at the beast, looking over at me imploringly.

"Davy, you wanna give him the apple? He'll start to like ya more if you bring him treats every now and then."

"Naw, you give it to him-" I start to say. But Todd's already reaching for my hand, taking it gently in his and tucking it around the apple.

My face boils red. My Noise begins to bubble with that weird feeling that I get whenever he-

_DEADFALL. ACORN. APPLE._

The horse takes the apple from my hand, munching happily on the treat. He whinnies to Angharrad, **Boy colts. Apple.**

I'm sure he heard it. How could he not hear it? It's not fair, him making me feel that way whenever he's around-

_APPLE. GOOD HORSE._

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Todd snorts, giving his horse a final good-night as he walks out the door. "See ya later, Davy, we got another fun day ahead of us tomorrow," he murmurs sarcastically.

His Noise follows him out the door. I can only catch tiny snippets of thought, but...

**Davy? Nice? Viola. Why, Viola? Davy. Davy's hand? Cold, cold outside. Jacket. Hand, warm?**

And he's gone.

I sit on a stool next to Deadfall for a bit, stroking his neck the way I saw Todd doing to Angharrad.

**Boy colt? Davy? Pet!**

"Good horse," I mutter. Deadfall nudges me with his nose affectionately.

And I can't help wishing it wasn't Deadfall, but T-


End file.
